Series premiere special price After completing her years of servitude to a dairy farmer in North Carolina, Annie McGregor hears there is a man in town, Ike Reardon, looking for settlers to accompany him across the mountains to Tennessee. Could this be the answer to her prayer for independence? During their adventurous journey, both Annie and Ike learn that freedom's promise holds more than either of them ever dreamed.
Dianna Crawford, best-selling author of 13 novels and 5 novellas, lives in Southern California with her husband, Byron, and the youngest of her four daughters. She was given a great start with her first novel in 1992. Writing for the general market as Elaine Crawford, she was fortunate to have it become a best-seller and be nominated for Best First Book with Romance Writers of America. Three more novels and 3 novellas followed under that name. But she much prefers writing Christian historical fiction. She feels that much of our wonderful Christian heritage has been diluted or distorted, if not completely deleted, from the general market and texts. She felt very blessed when she and co-author Sally Laity were given the opportunity by Tyndale House to write a six-book fiction series centered on the romance, adventures, and miracles that took place during the American Revolution.
The Freedom’s Holy Light series by Sally Laity and Dianna Crawford includes The Gathering Dawn, The Kindled Flame, The Tempering Blaze (for which she was again nominated for a RITA), The Fires of Freedom, The Embers of Hope, and The Torch of Triumph.
Writing with Rachel Druten, she published Out of the Darkness for Barbour. Writing alone as Dianna Crawford, she has published two novellas in A Victorian Christmas Tea and With This Ring. Her latest series, Reardon Brothers, is a frontier romance in the HeartQuest imprint from Tyndale House. The first book, Freedom’s Promise, was published in February 2000. Freedom’s Hope was released in the fall of 2000, and Freedom's Belle in February 2001. Dianna has had five novels featured as book club selections, and two novellas were reprinted in large print.
This book is a bit too prim, a bit too orderly for my taste. Very God fearing people populate the book and put their trust in their faith. Although this was probably true at that time, it was still bothering me to read about it. For it has a feel of fingerpointing and that left a ba taste on my tongue. The story is also a little boring and repetative. I was expecting more.
I loved Annie's spunk and self-dependence. It's not usually that a female character is so capable, yet vulnerable. In all her capability she still managed, albeit stubbornly, to acknowledge that she needed a man, that she loved him and wanted him. It was also interesting to see her battle with submission, how she resented his "bullying", how she rejected his "commands". I could identify so much with her. This book was realistic.
I liked this book because it covers the time in the history of North Carolina, Virginia, and Tennessee when settlers moved west. As I live in the South, the history was especially interesting. Ms. Crawford's style reminds me of another Southern writer, Sharyn McCrumb. This is Christian based literature.
Good story. I didn't feel like she rushed anything along or dragged things out too much. There were times when she could have continued on and on in the story but to her credit, she didn't. Made for a good relaxing read.
A new to me author and the first of a series. I do enjoy wagon train stories and this was a nice one. Annie is so independent but really does need a helping hand. Good book.